Process of finishing ladder-rails



(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. H. MoGULLY.

PROGESS 0F FINISHING LADDER RAILS.

. Patented Nov. 13, 1888.

N, PETERS. PhaIo-LilKogmpher. Washinglnu. n.0,

(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 2.

J. H. MOOULLY.

PROCESS OF FINISHING} LADDER RAILS.

No. 392,814. Patented Nov. 13, 1888.

WW. PK "W98.

Nv PETERS. PMIMIUm -q lwr. wnhin mn. 0.0

NITED STATES PATENT tries,

JOHN H. MOOULLY, OF RUMNFY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

PROCESS OF FINISHING LADDER=RAILS.

$PECIPICA'IION forming part of Letters Patent No. 392,81 i, dated November 131. 1888.

Application filed January 13, IES'T. Serial No. 221,.300. (No model) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN H. MOCULLY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rumney,in the county of Grafton and State of New Hampshire, have invented a certain new, useful, and Improved Process of Finishing Ladder-Rails, of which the following is a specification.

Ileretofore ladder-rails have been sandpapered or smoothed by hand labor alone, which, even in the hands of an expert workman, is a slow and tedious operation.

The object of this invention is to accomplish the work in a more thorough,perfeet,and rapid manner.

To carry my invention into effect I pass the ladder rails over an ordinary sand-wheel or sand-belt mountedjon pulleys driven by power, or both of these means may be utilized to good advantage, as may be seen in the accompanying drawings of a machine which I deem most convenient for this purpose, of which- Figure l is a cross-section taken just forward of the sand-belt pulleys, cutting the shafts thereof, Fig. 2 being a general plan view having a portion of the sand-belt and of the frame broken away in order to show means for adjusting the sand-pulleys and acquiring the proper tension on the sand-belt; and Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged detailed sections of portions of the frame of the machine, Fig. 5 being a side elevation showing a ladder-railas when in the act of being sanded or smoothed upon its flat side.

A frame comprising the horizontal pieces A A, B B, and O G and the uprights or legs a a and a may be mortised together and secured by lag-screws or otherwise, with the exeeption of those legs, a, which are at the rear of the machine. These are preferably hinged to the rear piece, A, for a purposehereinafter explained. The horizontal frame comprises the pieces I) D, each adapted to rest upon either of the horizontal parallel pieces A A by means of grooves d (I, made in the under side of the former and adapted to receive the tongues a a, formed upon the upper side of the latter, and the pieces E E, connecting either of the said pieces D D and bolted or otherwise secured together. Between the parallel parts A A and D D the sand-belt pulleys are mounted,the shaft F, carrying the pulley f,

being mounted in bearings bolted to one end of either of the parts A A, and the shaft G, carrying the pulley g, is mounted in bearings bolted upon the opposite end of either ofthe parts D D, each of the latter being provided with a slot,l' d,for the reception of a threaded stud or bolt, H, having its lower end or head secured in some manner permanently within either piece A A, and a thumb-nut, h, at its top for turning down onto the pieces D D to prevent their accidental displacement from the under frame.

The pieces 0 O extend at right angles from the pieces A A and are provided at their outer end with bearings I, which carry a shaft, J, upon which is mounted the sand-pulley K. The sand-belt pulleys and the said sand-pol lcy are designed to revolve in the direction indicated by the arrows, and,as the most convenient point for an operator to stand is at the left of the sand-pulley K, it becomes desirable to drive both the shafts F J by independent belts, and the pulleys LM are mounted, respectively, upon the said shafts for this pur pose. If the operator could stand convcniently at another part of the machine, the left end of the shaft J and the shaft (1- might be connected by bcvetgears and both the sand wheel and sand-belt N be driven by the single pulley M.

Tension mechanism is provided by which the sand-belt may be regulated. This consists of the shafts O O, mounted in suitable bearings, I, bolted to the pieces B and running parallel with and near either of the parts A A, and having an enlarged portion between said bearings, to which are threaded the castings Q, bolted to the under side of one of thepieces E, the shaft R, passing through either of the pieces A, mounted in bearings S, provided with beveled gears 1t, meshing with bevelgears O on the said shafts O O, and a crank, 1?, by which the said shaft It is turned. In this manner the upper frame may be moved a few inches upon the lower in either direction, thus loosening or tightening the belt N.

The operation of sanding or smoothing a ladder-rail by this machine is accomplished in the following manner: Either end of said rail U is placed fiat side down on the sand-wheel K, which is preferably of larger diameter than the pulleys f g, or else mounted higher, in

order the said ladder-rail may escape contact with the belt N when riding in a horizontal position upon said sand-wheel, as illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, and after having passed its full length over the said sand-wheel (a man being required at either end of said rail) the said ladder-rail is then turned flat side up and its half-round side is permitted to rest upon the sand-belt N, as illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, and is kept turning, so that the entire half-round surface may get the benefit of the belt while moving back, this movement forward on the sand-wheel and returning on the sand-belt being all that is required to per fectly finish the ladder-rail. Stop-posts'T T, rising from the pieces D D, serve as a rest against which the ladderrail is forced by the belt N while being moved across the same.

Having described my inventiomwhat I elai m as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 20

The improved method of finishing ladderrai1s,eonsisting in passing the same longitudi-. nally over a flexible abrading-surface travel ing at right angles to the rail, with the half- 25 round surface of the rail in contact with said abrading-surface, and passing the fiat side of the rail longitudinally over a rigid abradingsurface traveling in a direction parallel with but opposite to the longitudinal movement of 0 the rail, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN H. MOOULLY.

Witnesses:

J. B. THURS'ION, CHAS. G. REMIoK. 

